Yarn packaging and treatment



March 9, 1965 P. w. LANGWAY ETAL YARN PACKAGING AND TREATMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. '7. 1961 0 W 5 M5 Y 2 a m W W 3 H w 7M Z M 7 v M 7 3 Q Q 0 N '45 T Q Q o 5 A a LN 6 w u v 3 a 7 0 3 y 5 a 19 s 3 2 a a m ,m T M n, w

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YARN PACKAGING AND TREATMENT Filed Nov. 7, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q nvvewra BY aw ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,172,185 YARN PACKAGENG. AND TREATMENT Paul W. Langway, 'Claymont, andOrman'B. Billings, Wil- .mington, Del., assignors to Joseph Bancroft & Sons Co., Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 7, 1%1, Ser. No. 150,791 7 Claims. (Cl. 28-1) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for crimping and setting yarn and more particularly to a method and apparatus for forming the yarn into a core package and heat-setting the yarn by subjecting the package to dielectric heating.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved method and apparatus of the above type.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

In accordance with the present invention the yarn is first crimped by being fed into a stutter crimper of the type having an elongated crimping chamber of substantially uniform cross section and adapted to discharge the yarn in the form of a compacted core having a cross section corresponding to :that of the chamber. This core is laid in a series of convolutions around a perforated sleeve .to'forrn a core package which is self-supporting and which can be subjected to heat or other setting agents in a separate step.

In one embodiment the core package is subjected to a high frequency electric field so as to heat the yarn throughout the package dielectrically 'to a temperature and for a time to set the crimp in the yarn. After setting, the core package is unwound and the yarn is extracted in any convenient way.

More specifically the invention provides for feeding the core from the discharge end of the crimp'er directly into areceiver around an axial sleeve with successive convolutions of the core in contact to form-an uninterrupted mass wherein the crimps are held compacted during the setting treatment.

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain specific embodiments have been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a crimping apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 showing the drive for the receiver;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing a portion of the core package and associated elements;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the crimping tube in section;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 showing the receiver for the core package;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5 showing the drive for the receiver;

FIG. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 88 of FIG. 5 showing the core package and the feed means; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing the core package mounted for dielectric heating.

Referring to the drawings more in detail the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 as embodied in an apparatus comprising a stutter crimper having a crimping chamber in the form of an elongated tube 10 of rectangular cross section into which yarn 11 is fed by a pair of feed rolls 12 from a yarn package 14 through an adjustable tension gate 13. A traverse guide 16 is provided for feeding the 3,172,185 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 "ice yarn axially along the feed rolls so as to maintain a end 21 and an open lower end 22, is mounted by means of pins 23 .and key slots 24 on a support 25 which is threaded onto a rod 26 and adapted'to be retracted upwardly by the threads as it is rotated. A spur gear 27 driven by a motor 28 carries a pair of rods 29 which extend through recesses 30 in the support 25 and along the sides of the receiver 20 for rotating the same while permitting axial movement of the support and receiver. A ring 29a is secured to the lower ends of the rods 29 to provide rigidity.

The end of the tube 10 extends upwardly into an annularspace-SS between the outer peripheral-wall 33 and a perforated axial sleeve 31 of the receiver 20. A plate 38 is disposed on the end of the tube 10 and is formed with a curved discharge passage 36 which is adapted to lay the core 37 as it emerges from the tube in the form of a flat-coil in the receiver 20. The plate 38 is adapted to underlie and support the coiled core within the receiver. The surface of the plate 38 is helical to conform to the core as it is laid in thereceiver.

In the form shown the core which is discharged from the end of the tube lfl has a cross section corresponding to that of the tube and =has-a radial width adapted to fill the annular space 35 in the receiver.

in operation the motor 28 isdriven at .a rate such that the receiver rotates at a speed to lay the core in successive convolutions within the receiver as it emerges from the tube It The threadon-the rod 26 is adapted to advance the receiver by the thickness of the core at each revolution so that the core is laid in the receiver as a compact helical winding. The filled receiver may be removed from the crimping apparatus and subjected to any suitable treating step for setting the crimp in the yarn. For example it may be placed in a package drying apparatus and dye or a hot liquid or steam forced through the package. If desired the peripheral wall may be removed and the core package confined in a fabric sleeve or the like to facilitate such treatment.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 the core package is mounted for dielectric heating. For this purpose the receiver is made of electrical insulating material and the sleeve 31 is placed over the center post 40 and the walls 33 within the confines of an annular wall 41 of a high frequency heating device. The post 40 and the walls 41 are made of conducting material and are connected by wires 42 to a source of high frequency electricity, so that the field produced in the core winding heats the yarn in the core to the temperature desired for setting the crimp. If moisture is required for the setting this moisture may be supplied by a preliminary steam or liquid treatment. By heating the core package internally in this way a uniform treatment is assured. After the setting treatment the core package may be unwound to expose the core 37 and the set yarn is extracted therefrom and may be wound onto a yarn package for further use.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 8 the crimper is generally similar to that above described except that the crimping chamber is disposed to feed vertically downward and the receiver has its closed end at the bottom. In this form the crimping tube ltia is provided at its end with a spherical seat 45 and a discharge tube 46 is formed with a spherical socket 47 cooperating with the seat 45 and held in place by springs 49 so that the discharge tube 46 is free to swing in two directions about its central axis. A pair of sockets 50 and 51 are connected to the tube 46 and are driven by eccentrics 52 and 53 to cause the end of the tube 46 to have a rotary movement adapted to lay the core 37 in the receiver 20 in the form of a succession of coils 44 as shown in FIG. 6. The eccentrics 52 and 53 are timed with respect to the feed of the receiver so as to lay a series of overlapped coils in the annular space 35 in the receiver. The receiver and drive means is otherwise similar to that above described.

The crimper is shown as mounted on a plate 54 which is pivoted to tilt about a shaft 55 so as to extract the end of the tube 46 from the receiver and to provide clearance for the removal of the filled receiver. The plate 54 is latched in operating position by a releasable clamp 56. The crimper of FIGS. 1 to 4 may be similarly mounted if desired.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for crimping and packaging yarn, comprising an elongated crimping chamber having an inlet end and a discharge end, means feeding yarn for crimping into the inlet end of said chamber to be folded over and crimped against the mass of crimped yarn in said chamber, and to discharge the mass of crimped yarn from the discharge end of said chamber as a core having a cross section corresponding to that of said chamber, a receiver positioned to receive said core as it is discharged, said receiver being in the form of an open-ended can having an end wall disposed adjacent the discharge end of said chamber and having a central sleeve around which said core is laid and means rotating said receiver and retracting said end wall axially from the discharge end of said chamber for thereby laying said core in the form of a helical layer around said central sleeve.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a cover plate carried by the discharge end of said crimping chamber is disposed around said sleeve and is adapted to slide axially with respect to said bottom wall to accommodate the core winding as it is laid therebetween.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said cover plate is helical in form to conform to the core convolutions as they are laid in said receiver.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said crimping chamber is in the form of a tube having an end portion mounted for universal movement about the axis of said tube and means is provided to swing said end portion in a circular path as the receiver rotates for laying the core in successive overlapped coils around said sleeve.

5. Apparataus as set forth in claim 1 in which said receiver includes a peripheral wall spaced from said center sleeve to provide an annular chamber, and the end of said crimping chamber is disposed in said annular chamber to lay the core in successive layers therein as the receiver rotates.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which the radial width of said annular chamber corresponds to the width of said crimping chamber.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which. an annular member is disposed around said central sleeve and has a helical surface in contact with the core to maintain a compacting pressure on said core as it is discharged from said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,421,334 Kline et a1 May 27, 1947 2,421,335 Kline et a1. May 27, 1947 2,734,228 Hay Feb. 14, 1956 2,763,898 Sammons et a1. Sept. 25, 1956 2,842,805 Kaiser July 15, 1958 2,958,920 Erb Nov. 8, 1960 2,960,730 Shattuck Nov. 22, 1960 2,997,747 Russo et al Aug. 29, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 579 Great-Britain of 1871 1,736 Great Britain of 1854 14,473 Great Britain of 1894 396,141 Great Britain Aug. 3, 1933 

1. APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING AND PACKAGING YARN, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CRIMPING CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET END AND A DISCHARGE END, MEANS FEEDING YARN FOR CRIMPING INTO THE INLET END OF SAID CHAMBER TO BE FOLDED OVER AND CRIMPED AGAINST THE MASS OF CRIMPED YARN IN SAID CHAMBER, AND TO DISCHARGE THE MASS OF CRIMPED YARN FROM THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID CHAMBER AS A CORE HAVING A CROSS SECTION CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF SAID CHAMBER, A RECEIVER POSITIONED TO RECEIVE SAID CORE AS IT IS DISCHARGED, SAID RECEIVER BEING IN THE FORM OF AN OPEN-ENDED CAN HAVING AN END WALL DISPOSED ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING A CENTRAL SLEEVE AROUND WHICH SAID CORE IS LAID AND MEANS ROTATING SAID RECEIVER AND RETRACTING SAID END WALL AXIALLY FROM THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID CHAMBER FOR THEREBY LAYING SAID CORE IN THE FORM OF A HELICAL LAYER AROUND SAID CENTRAL SLEEVE. 